Yeah . . . On this episode of WatchThis W/RickRamos I take a break from the seriousness of our previous episodes and have a little bit of fun with a classic, Hal Needham's classic 1977 Redneck Masterpiece, Smokey & The Bandit. This is one of those films that I have to just come to terms with my love for . . . a hilarious and beautifully realized 70's era comedy that has stood the test of time. With great throw-away comic performances from Burt Reynolds, Sally Fields, Jerry Reed, Mike Henry (as the criminally forgotten Junior Justice), Pat McCormack & Paul Williams, and - an unforgettably brilliant comic performance by the great Jackie Gleason as Sheriff Buford T. Justice, this is a film that deserves it's reputation as one of the great underrated comedies of the 1970's.

It feels great to cool down and talk about a good time at the movies. As always, thanks for the continued support. Questions, Comments, Suggestions, and Complaints should be directed to gondoramos@yahoo.com.

On this week's episode of WatchThis w/RickRamos Ibrahim and I come to the end of our examination of The Vietnam War. You don't watch Full Metal Jacket, Stanley Kubrick's 1987 classic without recognizing it as two separate films. That's the angle that we're approaching the film. Boot Camp and The Grunts' Experience in one of the few urban examinations of this very complex war. With standout performances from Matthew Modine, Vincent D'Onofrio, and in a career-definining role, former USMC Drill Sergeant, R. Lee Ermey. This is a great film that we are proud to close this series out with. Take a listen and let us know what you think. As always, we can be reached for Praise, Comments, Suggestions, & Complaints to gondoramos@yahoo.com - Thanks for all of the support.

The train keeps rolling down the bend . . . On this week's episode of WatchThis W/RickRamos, Ibrahim & I continue our descent into The Vietnam War. This week we take a look at The War through the eyes of the displaced and victimized . . . the people of Vietnam and Cambodia. Oliver Stone ends his Vietnam Trilogy with 1993's Heaven & Earth, the story of Le Ly Hayslip who survived the destruction of her village, death of many family members, and the decimation of her country to eventually find peace through her will and perseverance. We also take a look at Roland Joffe's 1984 examination of the expansion of the war into Cambodia and the genocide wrought by Pol Pot and The Khmer Rouge, The Killing Fields. Through the story of Dith Pran's four year odyssey through "The Killing Fields" of the title, we get a rare examination of the war from a perspective that has been too often ignored. With an Academy Award winning performance from Dr. Hang S. Ngor, The Killing Fields is a truly exceptional film. We talk the film as well as Dr. Ngor's remarkable parallel experiences and his untimely 1996 murder by a Chinatown street gang. We hope you enjoy and take a little something from this heartfelt episode. Please direct questions, comments, suggestions, and complaints to gondoramos@yahoo.com - As always, thanks for the continued love & support.

On this episode of WatchThis w/RickRamos, Ibrahim & I continue our descent into the rabbit hole of The Vietnam War. This week we take a look at the grunts' welcome home with an examination of Oliver Stone's 1989 biopic of paralyzed Vietnam veteran Ron Kovic, Born on the Fourth of July. We also take look at Michael Cimino's 1978 masterpiece, The Deer Hunter. With these films we see two powerful and heart-wrenching examinations of a misunderstood and much maligned experience. The trip isn't over. Ibrahim & I are discovering more and more and we hope that you good listeners are taking a little bit from it. Questions, Comments, Suggestions, & Complaints should be directed to gondoramos@yahoo.com - As always, thank you for the continued love & support.